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Note: , New York, born October 16, 1819. He had but limited educational advantages in his youth, but was a man of practical business ability, possessing sound common sense and good judgment. When he was a lad of twelve or fourteen years he left his native state, lived four years in Ohio, and, going to the pine woods of Michigan, found employment in the forests. He worked very hard for the two years he was there, becoming noted for the number of rails which he could split in a day, and after coming to Illinois, in 1839, he was similarly occupied for some time, chiefly employed by a Mr. Borap, of Bureau County. Carefully husbanding his means, he was at length enabled to purchase a quarter section of land from the government, and part of his original farm is now in the possession of Henry Harthan, of Adams Township. Selling this homestead later, Mr. Springsteed invested his funds in a piece of timber land in Adams Township, and subsequently he secured adjoining lands in Serena Township. He cleared and improved his possessions, gave to each of his two eldest children a farm, and still owns five hundred and fifty acres (in 1900). He hauled to the Chicago market one of the first loads of wheat that were hauled to Chicago, and he took it to Whiting's warehouse. During the gold excitement, in 1850, he went to the Pacific coast, crossing the plains, but was not of the fortunate few who reaped a fortune, and at the end of a year he returned home, by way of the Isthmus of Panama, but little richer than when he started. He was very active in the support of the Democratic party and took an active interest in local affairs, though in no wise a politician. His death occurred in October, 1895. January 4, 1844, Hiram Springsteed married Maria, a daughter of Samuel Lett, and a sister of Benjamin Lett, the celebrated Canadian patriot, and revolutionist who blew up the monument to General Brock and had a price set on his head by the British Government. To Hiram and Maria Springsteed several children were born, and those surviving are: Riley, of Kansas City, Missouri; Mary, the wife of Joseph Nelson, of Serena; Hiram, a prominent farmer of Serena Township; Benjamin; and Emma, the wife of Gus Grandgeorge, of Adams Township. NOTE: Hiram was a brother of Amanda Harriet Springstead Strider Montgomery, 2nd wife of John Nelson Montgomery. May have gone to the Gold Rush with his brother-in-law, John Strider, who died in 1851, leaving over $3,000-worth of gold dust in his estate (Probate records - LaSalle County, IL @@ LSCGG, Ottawa, IL). The above excerpted from: Biographical and Genealogical Record of La Salle County, Illinois By Lewis Publishing Company, 1900 The Springstead School - 1847-1949, Sec 35, on the northern bank of the Little Indian Creek & N42nd Road: Deeded to the County of LaSalle, in June 1847, by Hiram Springstead, its one-room wooden school dimensions match those of an 1850 school renovated and on display in rural western Peoria. It had a woodstove near the north wall where the blackboard was, and an outer and inner door to hang up coats and store water. It had six 6-foot-tall windows, three on the east side and three on the west side. Outhouses were in the back of the building. It was an active school from at least 1847 to 1949. It was called by the County: "Dist.#9, Dist. #317, the Union School, and the Indian Creek School". The area locals knew it as the Springstead School. It was sold at auction in 1951 for $100.00; it was sold again in the 60's; and once more, this time in the 1970's to ComEd for an unheard-of $73,000. In 1984-85, it was sold for $15,000. It was then sold to its present owners in 1988. (picture on file)
Note: (1900) One of the sterling, rugged pioneers of LaSalle County, IL, Hiram Springsteed, settled there three-score years ago, in October, 1839, and thenceforward was associated with the welfare of the community. He was a native of Onondaga County
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